Interviewing/Resume Workshop

Please RSVP to Alison Winzeler (alison_winzeler@ncsu.edu)
We will use the Wiki to post questions, links, resources, and to hold discussions.

Who: Kevin Hill

When: Saturday, August 21 (11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.)

Where: Centennial Campus, Partners II Building, Suite 1525

Helpful Tips and Advice from Kevin:







Questions from attendees to be discussed on Saturday:

1. If asked about an expected salary, how can we answer without sounding too "off," especially in regards to this current job market?
2. When you say you will be flexible when you are hired, how can you do so and also avoid being overworked and burned out?
3. When emailing a resume, what should we write in the text of the email?
4. How should we answer when asked "what do you as a lateral entry teacher bring to the modern day classroom"?
5. A lot of the spots I'm applying for require transcripts and letters of reference in varying formats - is there a catchall format that we can use to save time for the people providing us with recommendations?
6. Do schools require official transcripts, or are unofficial submissions initially acceptable, at least until confirmation of acceptance of
   employment is made?
7. Do schools want transcripts from the NC Teach program as well as the university we got our initial degrees from? Can we print out an unofficial transcript from the MyPack portal?
8. Teacher friends of mine mention that there's a lot of emphasis in hiring people who mention how they would use technology to teach in the 21st century classroom. How much emphasis should I place on this in my interview? Is this one of the primary facets administrators are looking for when they conduct interviews?
9. My resume is going to indicate that I have very little 'teaching' experience; however, I feel that presentations I have given to coworkers and clients have certainly given me experience in presenting information in front of groups, managing meetings, and 'selling' information to clients whose inclinations may have been to not accept the premises we lay out for them initially. How can I present this to administrators in a resume and cover letter, and show how this segues over to teaching in a school environment?
10. When should we expect to see some response to our application submissions?
11. What sort of turnaround time should we expect between submission of an application and contact for an interview?
12. I've heard that principals are busy and you shouldn't call them to ask about open positions. Alternately, my professional experience has shown me that persistence pays off when attempting to get an interview. What is the truth about this when dealing with school administrators?
13. How long should we be looking for licensed positions before adding substitute positions to our searches? Are there alternate places we can look for employment in schools that would give us an eventual foot in the door for licensed employment?
14. How might I write my resume with years of Corporate Experience to look good for School administrators?
15. What is the best way to address questions about "working with high school students" or "being in the classroom environment" when I have little or no experience in this? (It seems many interview questions assume the applicant is experienced in teaching).

Items to consider when interviewing:

• Don't assume that the procedures/policies you may have had in your old school district will be the same for your new school district.
• You may wish to ask:
  • how are teams organized (number of teachers, subject areas taught, are teachers expected to double-up on subjects)?
  • what does the daily schedule look like - how long are classes, are classes broken up by lunch, etc.?
  • how are classes organized?
  • what is the EOG pass rate for the students YOU will teach (not overall - 50% pass rate on EOG is meaningless if it includes AG students and you don't have any AG students in your classes.)
  • in addition to annual turnover, ask for the percentage of teachers who have been at the school for over 3 years.